HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2012-01-05, Page 13THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2012. PAGE 13. Fall Fair celebrates 150th season in 2011Continued from page 12million had been earmarked for theRMP in a program that began inHuron County as far back as 2005.
Central Huron Council presented a
3.95 per cent tax increase to the
public for its 2011 budget. This
came after council turned down a six
per cent tax increase.
Despite poor weather holding up
the construction of the Emergency
Services Training Centre just south
of Blyth, the project remained on
budget, according to Fire
Department of North Huron Chief
John Black.
A breakfast to benefit the families
of firefighters Walter and Rea who
perished in a fire earlier in the year
was set to be held at the Old 86
Farmers’ Market just west of
Molesworth.
Huron County Council decided to
raise its tax levy by 2.74 per cent,
which would be imposed on all
Huron’s nine municipalities.
Dozens of supporters of the
Regional Equine and Agricultural
Centre of Huron (REACH) were in
attendance for a public meeting
being held to present Central
Huron’s budget.
Canadian environmentalist David
Suzuki screened his new film in
Stratford for students of the
AMDSB. Several students from
local schools were in attendance and
able to ask Suzuki questions about
the world around them.
Huron East Council authorized a
$20,000 payment to be made to the
Brussels, Morris and Grey
Community Centre for various
upgrades and maintenance issues.
Huron-Bruce MP Ben Lobbretained his seat in Ottawa after alandslide victory. Lobb won nearly 55 per cent of the
riding vote and not since 1984 when
Murray Cardiff won the riding had
there been such a lopsided victory in
the area, he said.
Lobb finished over 15,000 votes
ahead of Grant Robertson, who
finished with over 13,000 votes and
Charlie Bagnato of the Liberal Party,
who garnered 8,784 votes
throughout Huron-Bruce.
The Walton TransCan received an
award acknowledging its 40-year
commitment to tourism in Huron
County from the Huron Tourism
Association. Chris Lee, owner of the
Walton property beat out 12 other
events vying for the award.
A workshop for Blyth Festival
opener Hometown was held in Blyth
to help familiarize the actors with
the music of David Archibald.
The Brussels Fall Fair began its
historic 150th season with an official
kick-off event at the Brussels
Legion.
The Blyth Festival was nominated
for the Premier’s Award for
Excellence in the Arts for Best Arts
Organization. The award served as
somewhat of a lifetime achievement
award. With it also came a cash prize
of $50,000.
Area farmers were concerned with
the previous two months, which had
been filled with cold, rainy weather
that was making working in the
fields next to impossible.
With the exception of one week in
May, farmers were unable to work,
but Brian Hall of the Ontario
Ministry of Agriculture, Food and
Rural Affairs said that one week
made all the difference.
A national project called Portraits
of Honour was scheduled to make a
stop in Wingham, in honour of fallen
local soldier Matthew Dinning.
Huron County Council took a
definitive step in the debate on wind
turbines declaring it would support a
moratorium being placed on further
wind turbine developments.
A Business Improvement Area
(BIA) was proposed, but it would
need approval from North Huron
Council before it could proceed.
Rev. Gary Clark of Blyth United
Church was named President of the
London Conference of the United
Church of Canada.
The Belgrave Women’s Institute
marked its 100th anniversary at the
Belgrave Community Centre with
several special guests in attendance.
Grant Sparling was named to
Canada’s Top 20 under 20 for his
efforts in leadership and business
courses.
Sparling was included as part of
the list largely thanks to his
performance at Shad Valley
International, a camp where he and
over 500 other high school students
aimed to use their brains to create a
product for Canada’s aging
population. Sparling and his group
developed a capsulized vaccine, that
they have since patented.
Sheila Richards, a dedicated
volunteer and co-founder of The
Citizen passed away in London.
The appeals standing in the way of
the AMDSB’s new school in
Wingham were officially pulled,
meaning that construction on the
school was cleared to proceed.
Alice McDowell, principal at
Blyth Public School, would take
over the principal position at the new
school scheduled to be built in
Wingham.
Huron East Mayor Bernie
MacLellan declared his intent to run
for the position of Huron County
Warden.
A new name was chosen for Grey
Central Public School. The school
would now be called North Woods
Elementary School for the
2012/2013 school year.
Hometown, written by six
different playwrights, including
former Blyth Festival Artistic
Director Peter Smith, opened the
37th annual edition of the Blyth
Festival.
The man convicted of killing York
Regional Police officer and Auburn
native Robert Plunkett was
sentenced to 12 years in prison for
manslaughter.
Joe Seili, longtime Huron East
Mayor and Brussels Councillor,
announced his official resignation
from Huron East Council at the July
5 meeting.
A 44-year-old Kitchener man was
killed at the Walton Raceway when
he lost control of his bike and struck
a tree. Peter Zandersons was an
experienced racer wearing all the
correct protective equipment, yet he
was pronounced dead on the scene
by Huron County EMS.
The Brussels Tigers held their
40th annual fastball tournament at
the Brussels Optimist Ballpark. A
total of 12 teams would take part in
the tournament.
The Sifto Canada Corporation was
fined $140,000 in the Ontario Court
of Justice as a result of the 2009
incident that claimed North Huron
Councillor Murray Nesbitt’s life. In
addition to the fine, the court also
imposed a 25 per cent victim fine
surcharge.
A new Ontario Heritage Trust
plaque was unveiled at Ball’s
Bridge. The plaque is the 22nd to be
placed in Huron County.
A lawsuit with four Huron County
municipalities, as well as Huron
County itself, on one side and the
other five municipalities on the other
began. Huron East Council was
notified of the lawsuit at its July 19
meeting by a letter from the
municipality’s solicitor Greg
Stewart.
Four competitors would be vying
for the title of Ambassador of the
150th Brussels Fall Fair. Colleen
Edgar, Natalie White, Hannah
Ball’s Bridge immortalized
The identification of Ball’s Bridge at the border of Central Huron and Ashfield-Colborne-
Wawanosh townships as a heritage location by the Ontario Heritage Trust was among the
many memorable events of 2011 that happened across the county. Local dignitaries and
members of the Friends of Ball’s Bridge, a group responsible for saving the bridge after it was
temporarily closed to traffic, were on hand for the presentation on July 14. Shown here, from
left, are; Reeve Ben Van Diepenbeek of Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh Township, Daryl Ball
of the Friends of Ball’s Bridge, Mayor Jim Ginn of Central Huron, Maria Topalovich of the
Ontario Heritage Trust, Huron-Bruce MP Ben Lobb, then-Huron County Warden Neil Vincent
and former Central Huron Reeve Bert Dykstra unveiling the plaque. (File photo)
May
2011
June
2011
Building a home
Ground was broken for the Habitat For Humanity Project in Brussels in August of 2011 and
was finished later in the year. The project was the ambition of the late Henry Exel who,
unfortunately, passed away before he had the opportunity to see his dream actualized. Shown
members of Exel’s family who were on hand for the ground breaking. From left: Nancy
Lammers, Eileen Exel, Marg Exel, Gerry Exel, Malinda Exel and Sharon Good. (File photo)
July
2011
August
2011
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